Brian Arthur Smith
Obituary for Brian Arthur Smith
December 30, 1964 – November 4, 2025
It is with deep sorrow that the family of Brian Arthur Smith, of Vancouver, BC, announce his passing November 4th, 2025.
He was the youngest son of the late Laurie and Kay Smith, of Halifax, NS and sibling to Patricia, Stephen, Cathy and David. He was predeceased by his eldest brother, Larry.
Brian will be missed dearly by his three daughters Jessica, Cassia, and Savannah, who will always remember him as a loving and steadfast father.
He is also mourned by nieces and nephews, by Aunt Edie Warner, of Halifax, and by many cousins and friends.
Sports were a huge part of Brian’s youth. A natural athlete and competitor, he was sharpened in a neighbourhood full of kids, on the fields and courts around our home on LeMarchant St, at Conrose Little League, Gorsebook Minor Football, Halifax Minor Hockey, and Saint Patrick’s High School, supported by loving parents who kept the front porch overflowing with sports equipment.
Brian was named Nova Scotia’s Football player of the year, won Provincial High School Championships in rugby with his closest high school friends, and was the only Maritime player invited to Canadian National Junior Rugby team tryouts. He made that team, but had to bow out due to injury just a day before the team departed for a tour of the U.K.
Above all, Brian cherished being part a team, and lovingly spoke of the many special moments he had experienced with teammates and coaches at every level, both on and on the field. He rarely included himself or any of his accomplishments in those stories.
Brian was an “LBA” Hall of Famer, set crushing picks for Ben’s Bakery, and represented twenty-five percent of the self-proclaimed and undisputed “best four-on-four brother basketball team in Nova Scotia.” He was a distinguished member of the Order of Thirsty Doormen. He loved dogs, and was a master of bribery: Dane, Gulliver, Riley, Romeo, and Iris willingly exchanged tail wagging loyalty and temporary devotion for the last bite of Brian’s sandwiches.
His athletic success followed him to Saint Mary’s University (SMU), Halifax, where he was a standout slotback for the mighty Huskies Football team, thrilling fans with big speed, soft hands, and an authentic smile. A many-time All-Conference and an All-Canadian slotback, he loved his time on campus and made the most of his entire experience as a Huskie.
Brian graduated from SMU in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, and then an MBA in 1989. He played briefly with the CFL’s Tiger Cats, one season for the Ottawa Bootleggers and a couple in Buckingham’s touch football league. He also played part of two professional seasons in France and Ireland.
He moved to Ottawa, built a log home in Merrickville where he tapped trees and made maple syrup over an open fire with his daughters.
His work took him around the world. He implemented software for the Gates Foundation in Seattle, worked for Lululemon in Vancouver, and for Tommy Hilfiger in Times Square. He went to London, Thailand and Kenya. He worked across many of the US States and told stories of family, mountains and rivers in each one.
Brian was happy in the great outdoors, especially with a fishing rod in hand. Untethered to social media, he carved, painted, whittled, and drew, recreating journeys into some of North America’s finest forests and steams. He conquered the Elk River in Fernie, caught monsters from the Squamish, and Mamquam Rivers, and finessed the many rivers of the Appalachian Mountains, before gently releasing each and every fish back to its waters.
Undefined by heart trauma or cancer, Brian lived fully and travelled uniquely along this river of life and has now moved on to the next.
For the Chronicle Herald newspaper in Halifax, NS:
It is with deep sorrow that the family of Brian Arthur Smith, of Vancouver, BC, announce his passing November 4th, 2025. See https://amherstcremation.com for more information and condolences. Family will gather at a later date. Donations may be made to the Laurie and Kay Smith Memorial Scholarship at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, or to a charity of choice.
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